


Some Gifts Don't Fit in A Box

by whitebeltwriter



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Crack, F/F, Fluff, Reign happened but they stopped her and Sam is FINE, Ruby is a good daughter and Sam deserves all the hugs, just fluff, this is crack now, with a side of irrelevant fluff, you'll know what that is when you see it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-03-31 13:21:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13975986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitebeltwriter/pseuds/whitebeltwriter
Summary: In which birthdays occur and gifts are given.Chapter 1: Ruby has plans for her mother's birthday and she gets Alex and friends to help.Chapter 2: Alex and Sam have a surprise for Ruby's birthday.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BadWolf_TimeAndSpace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadWolf_TimeAndSpace/gifts).



> For BadWolf_TimeAndSpace, who prompted me with this idea.  
> Enjoy!

“Uugggghhhh,” the teenager groaned as she plopped her head against the coffee table in her mom’s office.

Ruby adored her mom.

Honest and truly she did.

But she was the absolute _hardest_ person to shop for!

Sitting up, the young brunette glared at the list before her that was so covered in crossed out items that there was hardly a free space left on either side of the paper. She’d been working on it since her mom had left for a meeting over _two_ _hours_ ago and _still_ had nothing!

Growing up, what little money her mom earned at whatever job she’d managed to get went straight towards buying food, paying rent, and setting Ruby up with clothes and school supplies. As a result, the eldest Arias seemed to make a point out of _not_ wishing out loud for anything that she (and as such, Ruby) couldn’t actually afford.

Things had greatly improved since moving to National City (the “Reign” episode notwithstanding), but her mom still remained tight-lipped out of habit and Ruby was at a loss what to get her for her birthday.

Previous years had been filled with handmade, if somewhat crude, presents but Ruby felt that this year _had_ to be something special. She knew her mom would love anything she got her, but after what had happened these past few months the teenager was determined to get her something that would truly lift her spirits!

But she had no idea what.

Even with her allowance Ruby didn’t have enough for jewelry, and her mom wasn’t so into clothes as to be excited about anything Ruby could possibly afford.

Books were a no-go, because while her mom loved to read trashy romance novels (that she didn’t know that Ruby knew she kept hidden under her bathroom sink for the rare relaxing bath night), it felt weird to give her _mother_ something of that nature.

Movies and TV shows didn’t work either because everything they watched was on either Hulu or Netflix.

She was at a complete loss.

Her mom’s birthday was in just three days.

There _had_ to be _something_ her mom wanted!

Something Ruby was actually capable of _getting_ for her!

But she was drawing a blank.

There wasn’t a single thing her mom had even _hinted_ at wanting.

Nothing.

Except…

* * *

 

“You wanna throw your mom a surprise birthday party?” Alex asked as she finished refilling her coffee mug in the one of the DEO’s breakrooms, her cell wedged between her ear and shoulder.

“Yeah! I think it’d be great! She’s never had a party for her birthday before! We’ve never stayed anyplace long enough to make friends her own age and stuff!” Ruby chirped over the phone.

Alex barked a laugh. “Pretty sure she’s supposed to worry that stuff about you, kid; being the parent and all.”

“Oh, _please_. I can make friends anywhere!” Ruby bragged, “I became friends with a super secret agent and her super sister, didn’t I?”

“Ha, yeah you did kid. Yeah you did,” the agent chuckled, taking a sip of her coffee.

Since the “Worldkillers” fiasco, Ruby had become privy to the knowledge of the DEO’s existence, and the fact that Supergirl was actually her ‘dorky Aunt Kara’. A fact that under normal circumstances probably would have caused the teenager to vibrate excitedly through the wall like a speedster, but…

It’s a bit hard to be cheerful when you find out that your mom was an unwilling sleeper agent trying to “cleanse” the world in a decidedly _homicidal_ fashion.

Alex had to give the young girl props though; she hadn’t seen anyone bounce back from anything that devastating since Superman had dropped a young Kara off on her parent’s doorstep. If Ruby hadn’t already endeared herself to the “Superfriends” before, (Alex would deny calling them that until her dying day) she would have then. Her determination to cheer her mother up after everything that had happened brought a gleam of pride to Sam’s eye.

And Alex’s, if she was being honest with herself.

Shaking herself out of her own head, the redhead tuned back in to Ruby’s “Kara-esque” rambling on why the party was such a good idea and how Alex just had had had _had_ to help her.

“Ruby. _Ruby_. _Ruby!_ ” Alex interrupted, “Of course I wanna help. I just don’t wanna overwhelm your mom is all, after everything.”

“It’ll be fine! I just want to have you, Aunt Lena, Aunt Kara, Winn, James, and J’onn if he can make it. We’ve never had a family this big before! Please, Aunt Alex?!”

God damn it, she could hear Ruby’s pout over the actual phone! (No doubt Kara’s fault) And calling everyone her family was just plain manipulative and sneaky (…probably Alex’s fault, with a dash of Lena).

“Ugh, fine, you got me. What do you need me to do?”

* * *

 

_Three Days Later_

“I can’t _believe_ you talked me into this,” Alex grumbled good-naturedly as she got out everything they would need in the Arias’ kitchen.

The youngest Arias had somehow managed to rally the Superfriends together and delegate tasks with a military-like precision that surprised everyone, save Lena.

James was placed in charge of decorating the living room, a job he finished so well early on with his artistic eye that he then was sent out to procure more party snacks and drinks. Winn joined him after setting up the various games and systems he had brought with him as self-proclaimed “master of gaming things”.

J’onn elected to stay on-duty at the DEO to ensure that Alex, Kara, and Winn had a free night.

Kara and Lena had the joint task of keeping Sam busy enough that the gang had enough time to get everything ready.

Which left Alex, whom Ruby had convinced her mother to let “watch her”, standing in the middle of the kitchen wearing an apron that had child-sized handprints painted all over it (a previous birthday gift to Sam) trying to bake a cake.

“Who else was I gonna get?” Ruby replied, trying in vain to tie the strings of her own apron, before relenting and having Alex help. “The guys can’t bake, Aunt Lena is too busy distracting Mom and running two companies, and Aunt Kara would probably taste-test more than actually bake anything.”

“Ha! Well, you’re not _completely_ wrong about Kara,” Alex agreed before looking over what ingredients they had to work with. “Alright, what kind of cake does your mom like?”

Ruby frowned and crossed her arms. “I don’t _know_. Most of the cakes we’ve had over the years have been for me and we would just get whatever flavor _I_ wanted. I’ve never even thought of asking her before,” the teenager bowed her head shamefully.

Alex tilted her chin back up with her finger, “Hey hey hey; it’s okay, Ruby. Your mom knows how much you love her and the fact that you don’t know this one little thing does nothing to change that, got it?”

“I got it, but… how can we make a cake if we don’t know what to make?”

“Easy; we’ll figure out what flavors your mom likes in general and go from there. Say–if she really likes chocolate ice cream then we’ll make chocolate cake, or something along those lines. Sound good?”

“Yeah!” Ruby perked back up, “Let’s do it!”

* * *

 

After a quick rundown of what Sam did and did _not_ like, the teenager and the agent decided to try their hand at making a strawberry cake, with pink and white frosting, and whole strawberries on top.

Once the cake was done, and the rest of the gang arrived, they all would lie in wait for Lena and Kara to bring Sam home from work at exactly five o’ clock and then they would all jump out and yell “surprise” and her mom would gasp and go “ah, you guys” and they would all party and have fun and her mom would be really happy!

It was a simple enough plan.

Everything had been thought of and accounted for; if not by Ruby herself, then by other members of the Superfriends.

Everything was on schedule and where it was supposed to be.

Well… _almost_ everything.

* * *

 

Unfortunately, no one had considered the ramifications of one Jessica “Jess” Huang, calling in sick for the first time in two years.

She had apparently caught a stomach virus that had been making the rounds of her apartment building, and apologized profusely to Lena when she called in to check on her.

The CEO had assured her that it was fine that she was to take all the time she needed to fully recover and that Tina from the eighth floor would be more than able to handle Jess’ duties for a few days while she recuperated.

And truthfully, Tina _was_ capable of handling the job of being the assistant to CFO Sam Arias.

The problem was that she was a bit _too_ good at it.

To keep Sam distracted and in the office as long as possible on a Saturday (no small feat considering how much work the single mom did during the weekday), Lena, with only mild feelings of guilt, set about giving the older woman as many tasks to complete as possible. Sam, to her credit, didn’t blink twice at the increased workload, but did sigh dramatically when Lena inevitably had to leave to take care of something or other at Catco.

At this point, _Kara_ was meant to pop into the office and low-key distract Sam (ask about Ruby, suggest they go out for a bite of lunch, etc.) from her work so that it would take even longer to complete.

However, on her way to L-Corp, _Supergirl_ was needed to assist some firefighters with a fire, which led to finding a small dog in the smoke, which led to a trip to the vet, then to finding the dog’s owner, and so on until she had all but forgotten to keep an eye on Sam.

This should not have been an issue as far as keeping Sam at work was concerned. _However_ , the fact remained that while Lena had brought Tina up to speed on all of the tasks she “needed” Sam to accomplish, she neglected to mention that _said tasks_ were meant to keep her _in_ the office so that her daughter could surprise her for her birthday.

On top of that, _Jess_ , competent and thoughtful assistant that she was, had made a note on her personal calendar that today was Sam’s birthday several months ago.

Tina inevitably noticed this, saw the mountain of tedious paperwork before her boss for the day, and decided to do a good deed.

She knuckled down and worked twice as hard to help Ms. Arias get through her work so that she could go home earlier for her birthday.

Which, is precisely what happened.

And so Sam got to make the journey home–

 _Three hours_ ahead of schedule.

* * *

 Sam gently closed her front door and sighed wearily as she toed off her heels.

Lena had unexpectedly run her ragged today (on her birthday no less, though she’d die before complaining to her friend about it) and she was relieved to finally be home so that she could spend some quality time with her favorite girl in the world (and maybe Alex too, if the agent didn’t mind spending a few extra hours with them).

Taking a few steps into the house, she was about to call out to the two of them when she caught sight of her living room and staggered to a halt.

The room as she had left it just that morning was gone; replaced by one decked out in streamers, furniture that had been rearranged to create greater space around the TV and the pile of games stacked before it–

And a banner, hanging on the wall across from her, reading “Happy Birthday Sam!” in big bold letters.

Taking in the sight before her, it took several moments for the eldest Arias to take note of a sweet aroma wafting out from the kitchen, accompanied by a pair of giggling voices.

“Ah! Watch it, Rubes! My hair’s supposed to be _red_ , not _pink_!”

“Pink is just red that’s had white added to it!”

“Just because it is a derivative of red, doesn’t mean it’s my color!”

“Well technically, pink isn’t a ‘color’ so much as it’s a ‘tint’.”

“…No more hanging out with Kara when she’s in an artsy mood.”

“ _Ah_ , but that’s when she has the best snacks!”

Sam softly walked the length of the hallway until the kitchen came into view, and with it a sight that made her heart skip a beat.

Alex “ _I-am-a-ruthless-badass_ ” Danvers.

In her kitchen.

Wearing her apron with Ruby’s seven-year-old handprints on it.

All but coated head to toe in patches of flour and, indeed, pink icing.

No doubt courtesy of her daughter, standing beside her, and holding a rubber spatula with more of the “offensive” sugary confection.

And before the two of them was a three-layered pink cake, halfway covered in icing.

A birthday cake.

For _her_.

Sam’s hands rose to her mouth to try to contain her gasp, but she was too late and two sets of eyes popped up from their task to meet hers.

“Crap! Mom!” Ruby exclaimed, as she looked frantically at everything on the counter she had no chance of hiding. “You’re home early!”

Alex looked shocked for all of half a second before her shoulders dropped and a sheepish grin crossed her face, as she stuttered out, “Uh…surprise?”

As Ruby rambled on about how she wasn’t supposed to be here yet, they weren’t done with the cake, no one was in place to jump out and say surprise, (“–and what the heck are Aunt Kara and Aunt Lena doing; making out?!”) Sam felt tears rise unbidden to her eyes and did everything in her power to keep from downright sobbing right then and there.

Alex caught sight of the barely withheld tears and was moving across the kitchen to Sam before she could even think to wipe her hands free of any lingering icing.

“Sam, what’s wrong,” the agent asked, reaching out for the older woman before stopping short at the sight of her own hands and hurriedly wiping them off on her apron.

Ruby finally took note of the look on her mother’s face and stopped mid-ramble.

“…Mom?”

Sam took a breath and tried to speak but all that came out was a sound reminiscent of a whine.

Her daughter was at her side in an instant.

“Crap, Mom! I–I’m sorry! I just–it’s your birthday and I wanted to do something special and I dragged Alex into it–“

“–You didn’t drag me into anything, kid,” Alex assured Ruby before turning back to Sam with a pleading look on her, “I wanted to help! I agreed with Rubes that you deserved something nice after all that’s happened and everyone else thought so too!”

 _Everyone? More people were involved in this?_ Sam thought as Alex carried on.

“–and I _swear_ to you, Sam, if I had honestly thought you wouldn’t have liked this I would’ve–“

“–Like it?!” Sam cut in. Coming out of her own head, the eldest Arias finally caught sight of the near devastated look on her daughter’s face and knew instantly what thoughts were running through Ruby’s head.

Dropping her hand away from her face, the brunette gently cupped her daughter’s face, uncaring of the tears beginning to flow down her cheeks. “Ruby…

–I _love_ it!”

“You–you do?” Ruby sniffled and caused Sam’s heart to crack at the mere idea that she had caused her daughter to doubt her actions so much.

“Of course I do!” the mother gushed as she wrapped her whole world into her arms. Pressing a kiss to her head she whispered, “ _Thank you_.”

Sensing that this was a “family moment”, Alex gazed upon the pair yearningly for a moment before moving to give them privacy.

“Don’t you even think about leaving right now, Alexandra Danvers,” Sam choked out semi-sternly.

The agent froze, caught red-handed, and stared helplessly at Sam, until the latter gave a crooked grin and lifted her arm out in an open invitation, her daughter quickly following suit.

Smiling softly, Alex cautiously joined the hug, maneuvering so that each arm held an Arias girl.

“This is the best birthday ever,” Sam murmured with a water grin.

Ruby picked her head up, “But we haven’t finished the cake yet! Or started the party!”

Her mom chuckled, “And I will love everything you’ve come up with for today, but right now it’s the best just _because_ you put so much thought into it.” Sam pressed another kiss to her forehead, “Thank you, sweet girl. I love you.”

“Love you too!” Ruby replied before burrowing back into her mother’s embrace.

All was contentedly quiet for a few moments before the youngest Arias chirped up again.

“You know… Alex helped a lot too! You should thank her!”

“Ah, _Ruby_ , your mom doesn’t–“ Alex interjected before the feel of lips against her cheek cut off all train of thought.

Blinking rapidly, the redhead turned towards the tallest brunette, with a face she could feel becoming bright pink, and not by fault of any frosting.

Sam simply smiled at her and said, “Thank you, Alex.”

“Ah–ye–yeah, no problem,” the ‘badass’ agent stuttered.

The eldest Arias gazed back at her with soft eyes that seemed to say a thousand words at once until the sound of the front door opening broke the silence.

“And the snack brigade has returned _triumphant_!” Winn crowed as he staggered through the doorway.

“How’s the cake coming along?” James called, closing the door behind him.

“It looks great so far!” Sam answered, stepping into view of the boys.

“GaaHH–SAM–hey, hi there–Sam…how ya–how ya doing?” Winn spasmed, all but throwing his bags about him in shock.

Sam looked lovingly at her daughter (with a quick side glance to Alex) and stated, “I couldn’t be better.”

* * *

 Kara arrived at the house shortly thereafter to ( _belatedly_ ) warn everyone that Sam had left the office early, and wound up getting a stern talking to by Ruby on the importance of plan-following.

The blonde got back into the teen’s good graces by showing her the various pictures taken of the dog she had rescued.

This led to Ruby asking Sam if they could get a dog and Sam saying no because they would barely have time to take care of it.

Alex offered her assistance if they ever got one, which weakened the taller brunette’s resolve slightly, but she remained adamant that they were _not_ getting a dog.

Even _if_ Alex and Ruby looked absolutely _adorable_ as they began gushing about which kinds of dogs they liked best and the awesome unique-ness of mixed breeds.

Lena’s arrival only made everything worse as the teenager asked her as soon as she walked in if she would get her a dog (while _pouting_ no less) and she caved almost immediately, to Sam’s irritation.

“But she’s _pouting_ , Sam! And what’s the point of having more money than I’ll ever need in ten lifetimes if I don’t spoil my niece?!”

The inadvertent ‘niece’ comment had everyone ‘awing’ at Lena as the CEO’s face turned redder than a super’s cape and opened up an entirely new thread of discussion.

Which led to another discussion.

And another.

And another.

Which _then_ lead to an argument that evidently could only be settled via a Mario Cart Death Match (“but there’s no death in Mario Cart?” “There is _always_ death on Rainbow Road, young Ruby.”)

All in all, it was one of the loudest, most chaotic, birthdays Sam had ever experienced.

And she couldn’t have been happier.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  Miss me?  
> Enjoy this thingy that has now become practically crack!  
> Shout out to BadWolf for yet another awesome prompt!  
> Sorry it took so long!

“I would like to state for the record that I blame you for this!” Sam Arias said in lieu of greeting as she marched into Alex’s lab at the DEO.

“And a good morning to you as well, Sam,” Alex replied, not bothering to look up from her microscope. “Ruby’s project make it to school okay?”

“Amazingly yes; can’t believe how much glitter Kara got onto– _AH_ it’s her fault too! I am mad at the both you!” Sam tossed her bag onto a nearby chair and turned her best mom glare onto the red head.

“Wah–“ the agent finally lifted her head, mouth agape, “What’d we do?”

“First your sister showed her all those cute dogs photos at my party last month, and then _you–_ “ the brunette jabbed her finger towards Alex threateningly, “–You just _had_ to go and start gushing about dogs this, and dogs that–and it is _all_ I have heard about for the past five weeks!”

“…Me or dogs?”

“Dog–well, _yes_ you have come up a bit, not that I’m complaining… FIVE WEEKS ALEX! Do you know how impressive it is for a budding teenager to focus on just one topic for that long?! Here’s a hint: _VERY!_ ”

“I’m…sorry?” Alex shrugged helplessly.

Sam glared at her for several more moments before deflating slightly and sighing.

“No… I’m sorry. That was rude. I just–” she plopped onto a stool, “I just don’t know what to do about this whole ‘dog’ thing! And as much as I needed to vent–and I needed to, _badly_ … that’s no reason to yell at you. It’s not really your fault Ruby’s obsessed with getting a dog. I’m sorry.” She bowed her head shamefully.

“Hey hey hey, no sad faces in my lab! It messes with my results,” Alex joked, successfully pulling a small smile out of the brunette. “Besides it _is_ kinda my fault; offering to help with the dog and stuff. Which I did mean by the way, but I still should’ve checked with you first, and so I am truly sorry.”

Sam chuckled and rubbed her face. “ _Ugh_ , how did this go from me raging at you to an all-around sorry party?”

“That was your idea of ‘raging’?” Alex smirked.

“Shush. It’s preferably to what my reaction would have been a few months ago.”

“What _was_ Reign’s opinion on dogs?” the agent joked before abruptly backpedaling, “Shit–sorry–I just–“

“Don’t worry about it,” Sam waved her off. “And for the record, I think she actually really liked them?”

“Yeah?”

“I _think_. I mean, I have kind of a hazy recollection of busting up a dog fighting ring–along with a _lot_ of skulls–and her petting a few of them and taking them to some kinda shelter in… _New Orleans_ , I think?”

“So _that’s_ where all those dogs went! Magg…the NCPD was wondering when they found the ring down by the wharf. There were over a dozen kennels, but no dogs.”

Sam shrugged. “Guess she liked animals more than people.”

“Well, she wasn’t wrong. Her method was a bit…”

“–Murderey?”

“I was gonna say ‘ _much’_ , but, yeah. ‘Least the dogs got out safe.”

“Yeah…”

They both enjoyed a companionable silence for a few moments.

Alex shook her head quickly, and clapped her hands together. “So! Back to the main topic; what to do about this ‘dog thing’.”

“Ugh, must we?” Sam groaned.

“We must! If it’s upset you this much–again, _sorry_ –then we need to deal with it.”

“You and your stupid, perfect logic…” the brunette grumbled under her breath before throwing her arms out, “–I don’t even know where to begin!”

“Simple. Do what Kara does; keep talking until things make sense. … _Or_ until I throw something at you, whichever comes first.”

“Please wait until you have something _soft_ in hand to throw at me. Like a pillow or your sister’s gay ass when Lena is around.”

“Kara’s ass is not gay. …It’s pansexual.”

“Agreed. _But_ when Lena’s around–it _gay._ ”

“…Fair enough. And good start on the talking, but wrong topic, Arias.”

“Whatever, Danvers,” Sam snickered, before exhaling and focusing on the matter at hand. “Okay. Dogs. I like dogs, I do. But they’re hard work! You gotta train’em, walk’em, feed’em, bathe’em, take’em to the vet for check ups–“

“–Basically everything you do for Ruby already.”

“Exactly! And I feel like I don’t even do that well half the time–“

“–Hey! You are a great mom! Know how I know? ‘Cause Ruby is a great kid. She’s bright, and kind, and tough, and quite frankly a better person than I was when I was her age.”

“You’re just saying that…”

“I’m really not. Ask Kara; she’ll tell you I treated her like shit when she first came to live with us. _Okay_ , she won’t use the word ‘shit’, and she’ll probably sugar-coat the hell out of it, _but_ –“

“ _I get it!_ You think a good parent makes a good kid–and it’s a good theory! However I can’t help but wonder if the opposite is true when you say that.”

“What? That a bad parent makes a bad kid?”

“Yeah, and you and I _both_ know someone who blows _that_ theory smack outta the water.”

“”Lena,”” They both said at the same time.

“Okay. You have a point,” Alex conceded, “However, _my point_ still stands that you are a great mom and _how the hell do we keep getting so off topic, damn it!_ ”

“It’s a gift,” Sam smirked.

Alex leveled a glare at her.

“Okay okay! Back to dogs! Jeeze…” the brunette ran her hand through her hair. “So we’ve established I’m a good–“

“Great.”

“– _Debatable_ –mom. That’s only because I’ve learned to juggle Ruby and work at the same time. I’m worried adding a dog to the mix would be too much.”

“So, have Ruby take care of the dog. She’s the one that wants it, she should take care of it.”

“Yeah and how long until _I’m_ the one taking care of it?”

“You don’t think Ruby is responsible enough for a dog?”

“I didn’t say that–“

“So you do think she’s responsible enough?”

“Well, like you said, she’s smart, caring, willing to go the extra mile for people…”

“Mhm.”

“And we _do_ have room for one. Hell, we even have a yard with good fences for one to run around in.”

“You do indeed.”

“…Crap.”

“What?”

“Ruby’s getting a dog.”

“Ha!” Alex crowed triumphantly before schooling herself. “Ahem, I mean…she doesn’t _have_ to get a dog, just because she could. It’s still _your_ decision.”

“Yeah, but now _I_ kinda want a dog… Never had one when I was growing up with Patricia…”

“…I am simultaneously annoyed you brought that sad fact into my workspace-,” Alex gestured to the lab around them, “-And excited that I talked you into getting a dog, ha!”

“Yeah yeah. Laugh it up while you still can, Danvers. ‘Cause _you’re_ gonna help me with this whole mess.”

“Yea–wait, what?”

* * *

And so Alex and Sam began work on all the logistics that went into getting a dog. They spent hours together researching nearby vets, dog food brands, and even which routes were best for walking around the neighborhood (Sam was delighted to discover there was an actual dog park not too far from the house).

As far as getting the actual dog went, the two decided it would be best if Ruby would actually be the one to choose, though they visited several shelters to determine which had the broadest available selection (more than once, one woman had to talk the other out of rescuing an animal before it was time).

Sam came up with the idea of telling Ruby on her birthday, with Alex suggesting she tell her by giving her a box of dog toys, to which the eldest Arias gleefully agreed.

With all the arrangements made, the two excitedly awaited Ruby’s birthday; both feeling confident she had know idea they were up to something.

* * *

Alex and her mom were up to something; of that Ruby was empathically sure.

For the past few weeks it seemed like every time she turned around her mother was on the phone (with Alex), huddled and speaking in low voices at game night (with _Alex_ ), or out the door to do a “thing” ( _with ALEX!_ ).

Honestly Ruby would probably be embarrassed at how _not subtle_ they were if she wasn’t so absolutely thrilled at the whole situation.

The whole situation, of course, being what Ruby had been not so low-key badgering her mother about for _months_ now finally coming to fruition.

I.e.: her mom and Alex were _finally_ together!

Ever since her Mom’s awesome birthday party (and a bit before that if she was being completely honest) Ruby had made a point of bringing Alex up every single chance she got.

“Hey Mom, I got an A+ on that biology quiz helped me study for! Can we invite her over to celebrate?”

“Did you know Alex says that while we domesticated wolves, we didn’t actually domesticate cats; they just started chilling with us and treating us like large dumb cats who need help.”

“That guy at work sounds like a jerk. I bet Alex would take him down if you asked her nicely.”

“Hey that woman walking her dog has the same jacket as Alex!”

“Do you think Alex knows how to drive a tank?”

Admittedly that last one came up because she honestly wanted to know, but the result was the same in that all of her talking _worked_ and now Mom and Alex were _dating!_

The only weird thing about the whole situation was that they hadn’t come straight out (ha– _straight_ ) and actually told her they were dating. The only explanations the teen could come up with was that they were:

A) Worried that she wouldn’t approve (as if she _hadn’t_ been “shipping” them–Winn’s words, not hers–for months now)

B) They wanted to see how their relationship went first before telling her in case they decided they just didn’t work out (like that could happen; they were perfect for eachother!)

Or C) They just wanted to enjoy being together before they told her so that they wouldn’t feel any pressure to do well together (…fair enough)

Whichever it was, Ruby hoped they told her soon; all this gentle coaxing and low-key assurances that she’d be ecstatic if her mom starting dating (especially if it was a certain DEO agent) was starting to drive her crazy in anticipation.

* * *

The big day had finally arrived and Ruby’s party was in full swing. Scattered all throughout the Arias’ home were Sam, Alex, Kara, Lena, Winn, James, J’onn, his father M’yrnn, and of course the birthday girl herself.

Despite having plenty of friends her own age at school, Ruby had insisted that none of them come on her actual birthday (a Saturday), but rather invited them out to an arcade on Sunday instead.

When asked why she stated that she wanted to spend the day with her family and she wanted everyone to relax and be themselves without having to worry about someone hearing something they shouldn’t (such as superhero identities and/or the existence of a clandestine government organization).

More than a few eyes got teary at hearing this (J’onn) and Ruby came close to having her ribs cracked by an overly enthusiastic hug (Kara).

Eventually the time came for presents, and one after the other, the Superfriends (“ _Winslow_ , I swear to God–“ “You can’t fight it forever!” “Watch me!”) began piling gifts in front of an increasingly excited Ruby.

James got her a photo album filled with some of the best photos he had taken of Supergirl and their corresponding articles (including some “behind the scenes” notes told to him by “Supergirl” herself).

Lena got her the Nintendo Switch, along with several games, to Sam’s dismay.

“Lena, I said no spoiling!” she jokingly whined.

“I am the rich aunt, she is my niece, what do you expect? That I give her a card with a dollar in it?”

“Knowing you, it’d probably be some rare, stupidly expensive dollar, signed by Albert Einstein or something equally ridiculous.”

“Well, now that you mention it–“

“Lena, no!”

Winn’s gift went along with Lena’s, as he got her all the necessary accessories, in addition to a custom-made carrying case for it all–that he’d made himself–bearing the House of El’s crest (with Kara’s permission).

Kara herself gave the teen a journal with the first page bearing the Kryptonian alphabet, and a promise to teach her the language and anything else about Krypton that she’d like to know.

“Because…because it’s important to know your history. Not so that you can let it define you, but so that you can learn from it and be better.”

Ruby’s hug isn’t strong enough to break the ribs of the Girl of Steel, but she did her best.

After the box of tissues was covertly passed around (again), J’onn and M'yrnn lighten the mood again by presenting the birthday girl with a bag the size of a basketball filled with tokens to be used at the arcade tomorrow with her friends from school.

“Uh, J’onn, I don’t think they allow you to take those out of the arcade?” James said.

“It’s fine, we paid for all of them,” J’onn assured him.

“Yeah, but, they just let you walk out with them?” Winn questioned.

“We went out the side,” M'yrnn answered.

“Ah-wait, the arcade doesn’t have a side door,” Alex stated.

J’onn smirked. “Who said anything about a door?”

“You went through the walls?!” Ruby exclaimed, wide-eyed.

“Maybe.”

“I do feel bad about scaring that young lad, though,” M’yrnn said.

“What young lad?”

“The one using the urinal in the bathroom we phased into,” he stated calmly.

“He did jump rather high, didn’t he?”

“J’onn!”

“What? He didn’t see us come through the wall. He was just embarrassed we’d stumbled upon him singing while he used the facilities,” the younger Martian assured his agent.

“He had a very nice voice,” his father added.

“Exquisite.”

“Oh my god, I’m too sober for this,” Alex exclaimed, to everyone’s amusement.

After everyone finally settled back down, Sam got up and moved to kneel in front of the loveseat where Ruby sat, while Alex quietly ducked out of the room to grab the present off of Sam’s bed.

“Okay Ruby,” Sam started, “You’re getting one more gift today and it’s…it’s kind of a big one. One that’s going to change some things. You okay with that?”

“Absolutely,” Ruby grinned, assuming she knew where this was going.

“Okay,” Sam smiled nervously, nodding to Alex who appeared then behind Ruby’s chair with the gift, moving around it to gentle place it into the teen’s lap before taking her place next to Sam.

Ruby glanced at the present before her, a box large enough to cover most of her lap, before looking up at her mom with a confused but excited grin.

“So,” the eldest Arias began again, “I know you’ve been asking about something for _quite_ a while now, and after a _lot_ of thought about it, I’ve decided–“

“-After I convinced her–“ Alex interjected before Sam elbowed her playfully.

“– _That_ you were mature enough to handle it.”

“ _Finally,_ ” Ruby groaned, dropping her head back dramatically.

“Excuse me?” Sam asked, her eyebrow raised in an extremely mom-like fashion.

“Mom, I’m sorry but I’ve been waiting for you guys to tell me for _weeks_ now.”

“Wah-weeks–you _knew?!_ ” Sam spluttered in shock.

“Yeah, you two aren’t exactly subtle,” the teen shrugged.

“What?!” Alex exclaimed.

“C'mon! You guys honestly didn’t think I would notice you two sneaking off to talk during every game night?”

“Well–“

“Or how Mom’s phone was constantly going off with the ringtone she picked for Alex?”

“You picked a ringtone for me?”

“Gah- _maybe_?”

“She did and it’s “Angel With A Shotgun” by The Cab.”

“Ruby!”

“ _Aw_.”

“ _Or_ how about when you go to ‘do a thing’ with Alex almost every other day?”

“Well-you see-we just-“

“Sam,” Alex wearily dropped her hand onto the stuttering brunette’s shoulder, “I think she caught us.”

“Just…gah,” Sam pouted, “I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Mom, no offense but the only thing I’m surprised about is how long it took you two to work everything out. I mean I’ve been dropping massive hints for like three months now!”

“ _Hey,_ there was a lot of planning that went into this, young lady! You know I like being thorough!”

“Okay, but how much planning does it take to tell your daughter that you’re finally dating someone?”

“Quite a bit! We had to pick out a vet, find decent dog food–wait, _dating_? Who’s dating?!”

“You and Alex,” Ruby calmly stated, gesturing to the two of them.

The two women both began stuttering and interjecting at once, to the hilarity of everyone watching.

Eventually the two calmed down (just) enough to stammer out (amidst a lot of blushing and very little eye contact with eachother) that they were not in fact dating.

“Oh…really?” Ruby mumbled rather glumly.

Her face on fire from all the blushing, Sam exclaimed, “Sweetie, whatever gave you-nope, nevermind. You literally _just_ listed every reason _why_ you thought we were dating.”

“But…you want us to?” Alex asked shyly.

“Of course I do! You two would be great together! Everyone knows it.”

“She’s kinda right,” Lena mumbled.

“I ship it.”

“Shut it, Winslow!”

“I’m just saying! And how come you didn’t yell at Lena?”

“’Cause then Kara would pout at me and I’m not dealing with _that_ on top of everything else right now, thank you very much.”

“Hey!” Kara squawked.

“She’s right.”

“Et tu, James?”

“You are literally pouting right now!” he defended.

“I came out to have a good time–“

“Finish that meme and I won’t buy you Chinese for a month; do not test me Kara Zor El Danvers!”

“ _Lena_ , Alex is being mean!” the blonde whined.

“Alex stopped being mean to your sister–“

“Hah!”

“–Cute as I think her pout is, I can only handle so much of it.”

“Yea- _hey!_ ”

“Okay ENOUGH!” Sam yelled, bringing all the good-natured bickering to a halt. Rubbing her temple in an attempt to avert an oncoming headache, she softly said to her daughter, “Rubes, I’m very sorry we gave you the impression that we were dating; especially since you seem to ‘ship’ us–”

“Hah!”

“Finger, Schott. Finger!”

“–But Alex and I are just good friends–“

“You mean like Kara and Lena?”

“Yes-no- _ugh_. I’ll let you know as soon as they figure their own shit out–“

“Wha–are we not friends?” Kara asked with a pout.

“Of course we are!” Lena assured her rubbing her hand up and down Kara’s back.

“Yeah, _real_ good friends,” Alex mumbled under her breath.

“Just like you and Sam, _right,_ Alex?” Lena shot back with a single raised eyebrow.

Alex spluttered, much to her sister’s amusing bemusement.

“– _The point is–_ “ Sam interjected, tired of being interrupted while she explained something. “-Is that the reason–the _real_ reason–Alex and I have been spending so much time together is because she was helping me get ready for your gift.” She gestured to the as yet touched box in the teen’s lap, “Which you’re welcome to open up at any time now!”

“Huh–oh! Right?” Ruby mumbled sheepishly, still slightly bummed at how things had turned out. She tore off the wrapping (perhaps with a smidge less enthusiasm then with her previous gifts) and lifted the lid off, staring down into the box with mild confusion.

The very first thing she saw was a mass of orange fur, which upon inspection revealed itself to be a loosely stuffed animal meant to resemble a fox.

The next was a small football covered in small numbs, then a large bulbous red thing that said “KONG” on the side.

Then there was an orange stick thingy with a bowl at one end that held a tennis ball quite nicely in its grip.

And finally, at the very bottom, was a small rubber bone, that squeaked when squeezed.

The previous discussion/mild disappointment had thrown Ruby for a loop, and it took her a few seconds to process what the items in the box were, and–more importantly–exactly _who_ they were for.

The moment it clicked though, all previous despondency vanished and the girl’s face lit up brighter than the sun.

“YOU GOT ME A DOG?!”

“Close,” Sam chuckled wearily, “We got you the _stuff_ for a dog. We’re taking you to the shelter later this afternoon to actually pick one out.”

“That sound okay, kiddo?” Alex asked gently, worried the teen was still bummed about recent revelations.

She was answered by a hundred pounds of excited teenager all but slamming into her and Sam for a hug, accompanied by many squeals of “I LOVE IT!” and the like.

Sam and Alex shared a look over Ruby’s head as they both moved to wrap her arms around her. They were vaguely aware of her firing question after question about where they were getting her dog from and when, but they all went in one ear and out the other as they got lost in each other’s eyes.

Sulking as she realized she was being ignored, Ruby turned to the room and vented, “ _Okay_ , I’m not the only one who sees the major heart-eyes going on here am I?”

“No, I definitely see it,” James said.

“Be glad you can’t hear it,” J’onn groused good-naturedly.

“Are they going to mind-meld with eachother now?” M’yrnn innocently asked his son.

“I feel like that is a thing you should not do in front of children,” Winn piped up.

“Or sisters!” Kara added.

“I don’t know, I think I’d be fine so long as they asked first.”

“Lena, no!”

“What?” Lena shrugged with an innocent shrug that was thrown off by her not so innocent smirk.

“Oh my god, where’d the wine go,” Alex mumbled.

“Okay–you all realize that you are _guests_ in my house, and that I can kick you out at any time, right?!”

“Yeah, but, we’re so cute?” Winn defended.

“And entertaining,” James continued.

“And who else would you trust with Ruby while you two got a room?” Lena smirked.

“”WE’RE NOT TOGETHER!!””

“So, you wouldn’t go out with Alex if she asked?” Ruby asked ‘innocently’.

“Well–I–um-that is…look, do you want a dog or not, kid,” Sam grumbled, a bit fed up with the whole situation.

“Well, yeah,” Ruby shrugged, “But if I have to pick, I’d rather you had an Alex.”

“Aw,” Kara and Winn cooed.

Sam sighed and dragged her hand down her face, wondering exactly which choices in her life led her to this moment.

“That’s very sweet, honey, but it’s not really how relationships work.”

“…So you’d say no?”

Sam’s head whipped around to stare at Alex, who had spoken up.

“…What?”

“If I asked you out…would you say no?”

“Who in their right mind would say no?” Sam blurted out before slapping her hand over her mouth.

The entire room stood frozen in shocked–if terribly excited–silence, before Winn loudly broke it stating it was time for cake.

Everyone agreed and began to make their way towards the dining room, Kara literally picking Ruby up and carrying her out of the living room, much to the birthday girl’s vocal displeasure.

Within moments, the room’s occupants dwindled down to just Sam and Alex.

Sam looked at Alex.

Alex looked right back.

Dimly they could both hear the rest of the houseguests plus Ruby tinkering about in the next room, and definitely not trying to eavesdrop on them, at all.

“Ahem. Soooo…” Alex finally started, “Is-is that a yes?”

Slowly, Sam dropped her hand down from her mouth and gulped.

“…Depends,” she answered.

“…On what?”

“Are you asking? Are you really asking? And by that I mean are you asking me because for some reason you think that–that I’m–I am _dating_ material–” Sam rambled, “Or are you asking because somehow my kid has wrapped you around her finger _so freaking much_ that you can’t stand not doing what she says? Because just because it’s her _birthday_ that does _not mean_ that you owe her any obligation–“

“I’m asking–“ Alex cut her off, “–because I think you’re incredible.”

Sam shut up instantly.

“Because you’re one of the kindest people I know, and my sister is Kara ‘Sunny’ Danvers.

“Because you’re smart, and determined, and have a great sense of humor.

“Because you raised that kid in there” she pointed towards the dining room, and a head of brown hair that was rapidly pulled back out of sight, “–All by yourself and yet are _still_ amazed at how good she came out.

“Because you have taken every hit this life has thrown at you, and rolled with them _so well_ that it’s hard to believe they landed at all.”

The eldest Arias stared at the agent with her mouth hanging open.

“I’m asking…” the red head licked her lips, trying to gather as nerve as she could, “Because…up until Ruby brought it up, I thought it was just me, that felt this way, and–and that that if I ever _did_ ask you’d be weirded out and say no and then I wouldn’t get to see you or her again and I just–“

“Alex.”

The fierce, badass DEO agent gulped and meekly said, “…yeah?”

Sam licked her own lips, her eyes seeming to dart all over the place before settling on Alex with a sudden focus that made the elder Danvers more than slightly nervous.

“Doyouwanttocometotheshelterwithus?” the brunette stated in a rush.

“Wah-what?” Alex eloquently responded.

Sam blushed. “I-I mean, I know you were going with us anyway because you said you would help, ‘cause you kinda started all this–well actually it was Kara but still– but before it was more like I was dragging you there, you know? So-so now, I’m asking,” she gulped.

“Do you want to come with us?”

Alex stared at her for a few seconds before a grin began to break out over her face.

“Yeah, I’d-I’d like that,” she shyly answered.

“Oh,” Sam squeaked, somehow surprised. “Okay…okay. Good. Great!”

“Yup,” the red head beamed.

They both began staring at eachother again, grinning like maniacs, before a commotion from the other room caught their attention.

“I said one would ask the other out within three months! Pay up, Schott!”

“No way! Going to get a dog with their daughter does _not_ count as a date!”

“So, you admit Ruby is their daughter then?”

“That was never up for debate–Alex adores the kid–what _is_ up for debate is what _you_ think constitutes as an actual date, Lena!”

“I can’t believe you two placed money on my sister!”

“Winn does have a point Lena. Besides you’re not exactly hard up for cash?”

“ _Oh_ , this isn’t about cash, Mr. Olsen. It’s about _code_. Mr. Schott put up his best spyware that it would take Sam and Alex six months to finally go out while _I_ said they’d do it in three. Pay. Up!”

“Agent Schott, please don’t bet with DEO technology. Especially against Miss Luthor.”

“Afraid I’ll use it for ‘nefarious’ reasons, Director J’onzz?”

“Of course not. I’m just worried Schott will cost us all our best gear.”

“Hey!”

“Does it count as a date if I stay home?”

“That would kinda defeat the purpose of them going to the shelter, but I think it’s a date either way, Ruby.”

“See! Even Kara agrees with me!”

“That doesn’t count, Kara agrees with you about everything!”

“Not true! I don’t agree with her about kale!”

“Really? Didn’t seem that way when you ate some of my tacos last week.”

“Wha– _Lena!_ Why would you destroy the sanctity of tacos with kale?!”

“You didn’t complain despite eating _four_ of them.”

“Because tacos are tasty!”

“Indeed they are,” Lena purred.

“Miss Luthor if you could please stop thinking things like that so loudly while I’m in the room, I would _greatly_ appreciate it.”

“…Sorry J’onn.”

“What? What was she thinking?”

“Ask your mother, Ruby.”

“But what _was_ she thinking?”

“Ask your Alex, Kara.”

“Oh…OH! LENA! Did you catch up on Wynonna Earp and not tell me?!”

“Oh my god,” Alex mumbled, burying her face in her hands.

“Is it too late to sneak out the front door?” Sam half joked.

“Ruby hasn’t blown out her candles yet.”

“…The trip to the kitchen is going to be crazy isn’t.”

“Yeah…” Alex looked at Sam, “Would you want it any other way?”

The brunette smirked.

“Not a chance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Sam and Alex spend more time together and are secretive about it, cause they are looking for a puppy as a birthday present for Ruby. Ruby of course notices that they are getting closer and thinks it's due to her constantly praising Alex when talking to her mom and vice versa. On her birthday the big surprise is revealed, but it's not what Ruby expected (namely that Alex and Sam are dating), so that makes for an awkward situation...

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "Hmm, how about Ruby enlists Alex's help to plan a party for Sam's birthday or get her a special gift or something, while Ruby is secretly plotting to get them together... "
> 
> Didn't quite hit all the marks, so I might have to do a sequel where Ruby tries harder to matchmake. Tried to put it in here but it just didn't fit right?
> 
> This is my first attempt at writing Agent Reign and since a majority of my understanding of Sam and Ruby comes from fanfics and not the actual show (for reasons) I apologize if either seems ooc.  
> As always, I hope you enjoyed it and to please leave reviews!  
> They make my gremlin muse smile.


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